Cliffhanger
by Dana Hale
Summary: How far will Peter go to save Olivia from the clutches of a mind-controlling madman? COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

TITLE: Cliffhanger

AUTHOR: Dana Hale

RATING: K+

SPOILERS: Of Human Action

SUMMARY: How far will Peter go to save Olivia from the mind-controlling clutches of a madman?

DISCLAIMER: No in"fringe"ment intended. So don't sue me.

His eerily calm voice permeated her mind in a ceaseless attack on her psyche. He had her right where he wanted her. He mentally chided her: Jump....jump....jump....you know you want to....jump.

Olivia could not break her trance with his eyes. She knew subconsciously what he was doing. He was going to kill her. There was no way she had the kind of power to overtake his mind control. She could not will her feet to stay in place. Instead, she felt her legs walking backwards, one step at a time, closer to the edge of the cliff. He telepathically told her to look behind her, to see just how far up they were on the mountain. As she turned her head to gaze down the cliff's edge, she saw the raging white water of the river several hundred feet below.

He didn't even flinch when he heard the helicopter hovering over. While he knew it was the FBI coming to rescue their own, he much rather enjoyed the look of panic and sheer fear in Olivia's eyes. It would be oh so fun to watch her kill herself. Just a few more steps....that's right...keep walking....

The helicopter found a spot on the top of the mountain to quickly land. Two FBI agents along with Broyles and Peter poured out of the aircraft and took their positions.

"FBI! We've got you surrounded! Release Olivia or we will shoot you!" Broyles shouted over the roar of the helicopter blades. All agents had their guns drawn and pointed at the man who had already killed three other officers with his mind-controlling powers.

The madman just smiled and continued his trance with Olivia. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she took another step. She was so close now to the edge that the heel of her shoe kicked a few pebbles from the ground and they skidded over the edge plunging down to the river below. She was about to meet the same fate.

"OLIVIA!" Peter screamed. "Olivia, look at me!" Peter approached slowly to the front of the action, trying to get as close as possible without making things worse. "Olivia, don't listen to him! You have to fight! OLIVIA!"

"Oh but she does have to listen to me! Everyone has to listen to me!" the madman taunted.

"Stop right now or we will shoot..." Broyles warned.

"Just one more step..." the madman laughed. "Trust me, this will be great! It's such a long fall, her pretty little neck will snap into so many pieces!"

"STOP RIGHT NOW OR WE WILL SHOOT," Broyles demanded.

"Olivia, please! You've got to fight him!" Peter desperately pleaded, trying to get her attention. She would not look at him. Her eyes were glued to the man who held her mind captive.

Olivia's left foot lifted from the ground and went over the edge. Broyles and the two FBI agents fired their weapons all at once and hit him square in the chest several times, each bullet making the madman jerk and stumble. Just as he fell to the ground, Olivia lost her mental connection with the madman and suddenly became very aware of her predicament. With only one foot on the ground and one in the air, she lost her balance. She fell backward over the edge of the cliff, falling, falling....screaming....

"NOOOOO!!!!" Peter bolted past the body of the madman now lying dead on the ground and scurried to the edge of the cliff. He heard the splash but didn't see Olivia. "OLIVIA! OLIVIA!" Terrified, he contemplated diving off the cliff and jumping into the river after her. He was just about to do it when Broyles grabbed his arm.

"What do you think you're doing?" Broyles said harshly. "You can't go after her like that!"

"Watch me." Peter's determined eyes threatened to spill tears as he continued to gaze far down the edge of the mountain. He pushed his way out of Broyles grip and took off his black leather jacket, preparing to jump. Broyles grabbed him again.

"I won't let you do this. Let's get a team down there. We'll find her."

Peter was in shock. He was dizzy but he couldn't move. He just kept staring at the long drop down to the river.

"Peter," Broyles said, shaking him. "PETER. Peter, look at me!"

Peter finally met Broyles eyes. "We WILL find her. Alive. She's strong," Broyles tried to reassure Peter. "Come on, we've got to get down there."

Peter angrily grabbed his jacket from off ground and Broyles pushed Peter toward the helicopter. They quickly got in and took off. The other agents had called for backup, and sirens could already be heard down below, the sounds echoing and bouncing off the face of the mountain.


	2. Chapter 2

Olivia felt the powerful smack of the water hitting her body, crushing her rib cage.  
The impact made all of the air collapse out of her lungs. She realized that she was  
still screaming even under water. Not only was the force of the hit to the water  
shocking, but the water temperature was freezing, causing her blood flow to constrict.  
She briefly lost her vision. Her flailing arms and kicking legs were no help as she  
desperately tried to swim to the surface. She sank further and further below the raging  
water, fighting against the strong, cold, current of the river. Her eyes were wide open  
now in terror, searching for any kind of light so she could distinguish up from down.  
But the waves and the undercurrent kept on with their unyielding forces against her body.  
Her lungs were burning for oxygen. She could not stop the inevitable fight for air and  
impulsively breathed through her nose and then opened her mouth, only to experience the  
horrifying onslaught of water rushing into her chest cavity. She was being swept away  
through the rip-tide. She was losing consciousness, and the last thing she felt was her  
body being slammed into a large rock.

* * *

The Observer knew he didn't have much time. He saw Olivia hit the water but she had yet  
to resurface. So he walked to the edge of the riverbank and laid his briefcase down on  
the ground. He pried open the case and took out two telescopic aluminum poles and extended  
them to the appropriate lengths. He then grabbed one of the two rectangular-shaped metal  
boxes and fit that into place on one of the poles. Walking about fifty yards to his right, he plunged  
the pole with the metal box attached to it down into the ground, driving it in like a stake.  
Then he walked back to his briefcase and set up the other pole and metal box in the same manner.  
He planted this pole in the ground fifty yards to his left. He reached in his pocket and took out  
the detonator. Pushing the red button, the metal boxes were activated, creating a vortex that  
surrounded the river where Olivia had fallen in.

The vortex began acting like a giant magnet, its forces pulling apart the water and searching to grab  
hold of Olivia. When it found her, it latched on to her and heaved her up out of the water. Her body  
hung in mid-air just above the surface of the river, levitating in the vortex. She was lifeless and water-  
logged. The Observer pushed the button one last time on the detonator. Immediately the vortex snapped  
back into the metal boxes on the poles and Olivia disappeared in a flash of light. Knowing that he had  
succeeded in saving her by sending her to the alternate world, the Observer packed up his things and  
left as quickly as he came. He heard the sirens and knew that any minute there would be a search team  
coming and he did not want to be seen. In his haste, he did not have time to pick up his black derby hat  
that had blown away in the wind.


	3. Chapter 3

Peter and Broyles jumped out of the helicopter as soon as it landed with a thud. They were met by a caravan of FBI fleet vehicles, all screeching to a halt near the river's edge. Broyles immediately started barking orders to the agents, giving them their assignments and breaking them into search teams.

The scene quickly became controlled chaos. Rafts were deployed into the river and expert divers were putting on their scuba gear. Some of the teams started searching along the river bank on foot, looking for any sign of Olivia. Others were put in charge of hauling out the gear they would need to make a quick rescue, and the river bank was soon littered with safety nets and harnesses and life jackets. An EMT crew stood ready with a stretcher and defibrillator.

Aside from jumping in the water himself, which he knew Broyles would never let him do, Peter stood at the water's edge dejected, wanting desperately to help but not knowing how.

Walter and Astrid popped out of a newly-arrived car and ran to Peter. They had previously been told to stay behind out of harms way when Peter had first left to go up the mountain.

"We just heard the news," Astrid said, exasperated. "He made her jump?"

Peter closed his eyes and tried to regain some composure. "I was too late to catch her from falling...I was right there but I just couldn't get to her in time...the look on her face..." In his mind he replayed the scene of her falling off the edge, screaming. He opened his eyes again and looked despairingly at the river. The raging water was taunting him, telling him that Olivia had been swept away for good, never to be found. And it was his fault.

Walter stood there immobilized and unable to speak, his expression obviously one of fear and concern for his friend Olivia.

Astrid placed a hand on Peter's arm. "They're going to find her."

"Alive?" Peter questioned, his voice solemn.

Astrid didn't know what to say. Peter started to walk away. He grabbed one of the life jackets from the supply pile. Olivia had already been in the water for twenty minutes now. Despite Broyles' warning for him to stay out of the way, Peter was going to start his own search. He knew he could never live with himself if he didn't at least try.

"Peter!" Walter suddenly exclaimed a bit too loudly. Peter turned back around to acknowledge his father. "I...I...I'm coming with you."

* * *

From out of the dark oblivion and into consciousness, Olivia bolted upright, retching and coughing up water from her lungs, gasping and gulping for air. An oxygen mask was shoved in her face and held over her mouth. She felt her cold wet body being pushed back down on the examination table. Her vision was blurry and her eyes were full of tears. She was scared and disoriented. She fought against those who were trying to help her.

"Just calm down. You're going to be fine," one of the nurses said to her. "I'll go tell Dr. Bell that you're awake."


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Changing the rating here just for this chapter from "K+" to "T" for one bad word uttered by William Bell (depending on your idea of bad).

Spoilers: You really need to know what happened in the ep "Momentum Deferred" to understand this chapter.

* * *

Walter cranked his head upward to get a look at just how high the cliff was compared to where he and Peter were standing now. "Depending on the wind and the updraft, she could have reached 50% terminal velocity before hitting the water. That would mean she fell at a speed of 60 mph. Now, with the water temperature being around 32 degrees and with 20 minutes of exposure, the chance of hypothermia setting in and her still being alive is..."

As usual, Peter was getting annoyed with his father nervously rattling off scientific probabilities. And he was even more so annoyed because the probabilities dealt with Olivia's chance of survival. He didn't want to hear it. Grabbing his father's arms, Peter said harshly, "Walter! Please! Spare me the facts. If you want to help me, just start looking for her. We're running out of time. We need to find her. Just help me LOOK for her."

Walter saw the fear and desperation in Peter's eyes. It was then that he realized his son was right and he quieted down. "Yes Son. Okay. Okay." Peter let go of him and started walking forward along the river bank.

The search teams had spread out and Peter and Walter managed to find a spot down stream that had not been explored yet.

Peter stopped suddenly and pointed to the ground. "Footprints."

Walter looked down and saw them too. "Could they be Olivia's?"

"I don't think so. They don't go down to the water."

They followed the trail of footprints and Peter frowned when the trail disappeared into the woods.

"Peter, look!" Walter knelt down and picked up a black derby hat that was lying forgotten on the ground. "Oh. Oh no."

"What? Walter, what?"

"Peter. I know this hat. I know this hat!"

"From where?" Peter asked incredulously.

"Oh! I know this hat! I just can't...remember...I can't remember, Peter! But I've seen it before! There's something about it that's bad. Very bad."

"Think, Walter. This could be important."

"Yes. Yes. I'm trying."

* * *

"Livy. I was hoping I wouldn't have to bring you back here so soon."

Olivia sat up in bed and for the first time noticed her surroundings. There was that surreal light again, bathing everything around her in a warm glow. And then time skipped a beat and she found herself standing in William Bell's office once again.

"William?" Olivia squinted. She put her hand to her forehead, got a bit dizzy, and then grabbed the chair that was in front of her for support.

"Easy, there. You've got quite the bump on your head."

Olivia felt her forehead again and then looked at her hand. There was blood.

"What happened to me? Why am I here?"

"You need to be more careful, Olivia. I told you that you are the Gatekeeper. The One who can stop the war. I can't keep saving you every time your life is in danger. The negative side effects of pulling you out and sending you back increase greatly the more you travel between the two worlds."

"My life was in danger...You pulled me out of the water?" Olivia remembered now.

"I have a friend who has been watching you. He saved you and brought you here."

"Why?"

"You were drowning. You would have died."

"Are you always this dramatic? You said I was the strong one."

"Yes. You are. You don't even realize how strong, Livy."

"I suppose that's because of all the chemicals you pumped into me when I was a helpless child?" Olivia raised her voice.

"Olivia," Bell interjected.

"Okay, fine. Let's change the subject. I don't suppose you would know anything about mind control, would you?" Olivia pressed. The look on William's face told her that he did.

"Who was that man that made me jump? He got into my head and I couldn't fight him. Was he one of those shape-shifters?"

"Unfortunately, it seems that someone from this side has infiltrated Massive Dynamic and is streamlining the technology from this world into your world. This is why you are so important, Olivia. You have to be the one to stop that from happening."

Olivia was angry and frustrated. "How can I possibly do that when I'm having trouble believing a word you say?"

Another skip in time happened and now she and Bell were standing in a laboratory. He was filling a syringe. He looked at his watch.

"The truth will soon come to you. Stay close to Peter. You two work well together. As I said before, you are going to need his help. And when he discovers the truth along with you, he is going to need you, too. Be there for him, Liv. Remind him how much Walter loves him. Walter loves his son so much."

As she was trying to decipher what he was saying, he approached her with the syringe.

"It's time for you to go. Remember what I said about physics being a bitch?"

Olivia grimaced and nodded.

"I'm afraid that since we took you out of the water, that's where you'll have to be put back. I'm going to give you a mild sedative that will help you in the transition."

Olivia looked at the syringe with hesitation. "More drugs? You're just like Walter."

"It's to help you. There's no time to argue." He grabbed her arm, stuck her with the needle, and squeezed the solution into her bloodstream.

"Now, I'm going to count to three. On three, I want you to inhale and hold your breath. Take in as much air as you can and hold it. Understand?"

"Yes."

"One...Two...THREE."


	5. Chapter 5

Walter was still contemplating the hat he found when Peter said, "Did you hear that?"

"Not now, Peter! I'm trying to think! Think. Think. Think," Walter said as he was turning the hat over and over in his hands.

"It was faint, but it sounded like a bell ringing," Peter turned around to look out over the river. He felt a light breeze graze over the back of his neck. It made him shiver. Just as quickly as the breeze came, a strange calm overtook the area. There was no noise whatsoever; even the rush of river water was silent. It was enough to make Walter finally stop his reverie about the hat and take notice of his surroundings.

"Oh. I knew this was bad. It's happening again, Peter." Walter looked as if he was about to cry.

They both stood there silent, looking at the river, wondering what was happening. It was as if time stood still. The quiet was deafening until...

All of the noise of nature snapped back into place like a rubber band. The river's rushing water could once again be heard, and there in the middle of river appeared a bobbing head with blonde hair fighting against the sweeping torrents, coming up for air but then being quickly sucked backed down into the cyclone of water.

Peter's eyes widened in shock. "OLIVIA!"

Peter instantly shrugged out of his leather jacket and made a mad running dash into the river after her. Walter stood at the water's edge watching in horror as Olivia was pulled underneath again and Peter dove down into the violent flow of waves searching to grab a hold of her.

"Come on Peter...come on Peter," Walter muttered. He lost sight of them. They were both under now. "Where are you? Come back up!"

After what seemed like minutes, Peter finally emerged, inhaling deeply as he surfaced. Olivia was limp in his arms, and he struggled to keep her afloat while trying to swim towards the bank, fighting against the current.

"Swim Peter! Swim son!" Walter grabbed the life jacket that Peter had brought with them and he threw it at Peter.

Peter stretched his arm out to grab the life jacket, but he missed and was pulled back down again into the current. He held on to Olivia tightly and was able to kick his way back up to the surface once more. When he reached for the life jacket the second time, he was able to make contact with it. He quickly pulled it over Olivia's head and tucked it around her neck so that she was more buoyant. Peter took note of her matted hair plastered to her bloody face. Her eyes were closed and he could not tell if she was breathing. This scared him all the more and made Peter urgently kick and swim even harder. He finally kicked their way free from the under toe. When he reached the shallow water of the riverbank, he stood up with Olivia in his arms and ran the rest of the way in towards Walter.

Gently laying her down, he yelled at Walter "Go get help! Tell them we found her!"

Walter stood there staring at the lifeless Olivia.

"WALTER! GO GET HELP!" Peter shouted, startling Walter into action.

"Yes...Yes! Help! I'll go get help." Walter ran off.

Peter swiftly turned his attention back to Olivia. He put two fingers nervously to her neck, seeking a pulse. "Come on Olivia." He sighed in relief when he felt the faint beating rhythm beneath his fingertips and saw the rise in her chest and knew she was breathing. He touched her face, her arms, her hands. She was freezing cold. He grabbed his leather jacket and tucked it over her body like a blanket. He was reminded of Walter's rant about hypothermia and exposure. He himself was soaked to the bone and shivering, but she had endured the cold much longer than he had. Brushing her hair out of her face, he noticed the bloody gash on her forehead. He winced.

"'Livia, can you hear me?"


	6. Chapter 6

It was Peter's voice that gently stirred her awake. She slowly opened her eyes, and the first thing she felt was his hand on her face. He was stroking her cheek with his thumb. And then she saw the concerned look in his eyes.

_Okay, this is weird,_ Olivia thought. _Why is Peter here looking at me like that, and why am I cold and wet, and where am I, and what just happened, and where was I..._

Peter saw her confusion but was extremely happy to see her awake. He smiled remarkably at her and said, "Hey."

"Hey," Olivia managed to answer back with a small voice. She still had yet to move, but she noticed that she was involuntarily shivering and that she was buried underneath Peter's jacket.

"You know, you're getting really good at faking your own death. You can stop doing it now. It's starting to wear me out," Peter quipped as he finally let out a sigh of relief.

Olivia's thoughts were still jumbled. Maybe it was because she was so freaking cold that she couldn't think straight. Peter's smile faded as he realized that her lips were blue and she couldn't stop shivering.

"You don't remember what happened, do you?" he questioned.

Olivia shook her head no.

"Well, for starters, hopefully this teaches you to call for backup first the next time you boldly go after the bad guy single-handedly. You're one tough cookie, Olivia Dunham, but this guy proved to be too much for anyone to handle."

That jogged her memory. "What happened to him?"

"Broyles blew him to pieces. But not soon enough. You fell off the cliff, Olivia. You were in the river for about a half hour before Walter and I found you."

"What?" Olivia was stunned. She turned her head to look at the river. "I don't understand...I don't remember being in the water...it's like I was dreaming or something..."

Olivia noticed that Peter's clothes were soaking wet. "You pulled me out?"

Peter nodded.

All of the sudden Olivia didn't feel so good. A wave of nausea hit, her head hurt like hell, and she was so very cold. She tried to sit up but the motion made her very dizzy. Peter gently pushed her back down. "Just take it easy. Looks like you hit your head on one of the rocks out there. Probably earned yourself another concussion. Walter went to get help."

"Peter, this doesn't make sense," Olivia started to get agitated. "Something isn't right...I don't remember...it's like my accident in New York."

"Hey, calm down, it's okay," Peter grabbed hold of her arms and steadied her. "You've been through a lot in the last six months, and you just took a really big fall."

"No Peter, something else happened to me, I can feel it, I just don't know what."

Olivia's fear was growing. Peter's was too, although he did his best not to show it. It really was amazing that here she was talking to him and still alive after the ordeal she just went through. It made him wonder if there was some truth to what she was saying. After all, they still didn't have a reasonable explanation as to what happened to her in the car accident in New York.

"We'll talk about it later, okay? Right now we need to get you warm. I think hypothermia is setting in." He noted that her coloring was gray, and she still could not stop shivering. "Come here." He lifted her head and shoulders a bit, rested her against his chest, and wrapped his arms around her. He too was cold and he didn't know if what he was doing was helping any. But it felt like the right thing to do.

Silence passed between them for a few minutes as they savored each other's company after such a harrowing event. It was never easy for Olivia to accept help like this from someone, but Peter's friendship had proven to be genuine over the short year that she has known him, and she was grateful for his presence. Olivia said through chattered teeth, "Thanks for saving my life."

Peter smiled and hugged her more tightly. "You'd have done the same for me," he said, as an ambulance finally made an approach.

"No hospital, Peter. Promise me?"

"No dice. Let's see what they have to say first."

Olivia was carefully lifted from Peter's arms by two EMT's and put onto a stretcher. They loaded her into the ambulance so that they could take a good at her injuries. A third EMT approached Peter and asked, "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little cold." Peter was given a blanket that he gladly wrapped around his shoulders. He then walked to the back of the ambulance to watch them work on Olivia.

They were firing questions at her one right after the other.

"Do you feel lightheaded?"

"Yes."

"Are you nauseated?"

"Yes."

"Can you feel this?"

"No."

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Three?"

"What day is it?"

"Thursday."

One of the attendants rolled up Olivia's sleeve to take her blood pressure and noticed a red mark on her arm. "Did you recently get your flu shot, Agent Dunham?"

"Flu shot? Um, no," Olivia looked at her arm in confusion.

"Well, someone gave you a shot of something," the attendant said.

"That can't be...I don't remember getting a shot..." Olivia looked over at Peter who had a concerned look on his face.

"What do you mean someone gave her a shot? A shot of what? Can you tell how long ago?" Peter questioned.

"The bruising at the injection site looks fairly recent. We can run a blood test to see if anything unusual shows up."

"Yes, do that." Peter insisted. His imagination started going overtime. Did that mind-controlling maniac do something to her...give her something that aided in his control over her?

His thoughts were interrupted when he saw a familiar station wagon pull up. Astrid was driving and Walter was in the passenger seat. They got out of the car and headed towards Peter.

"How's she doing?" Astrid asked.

"They haven't said yet. But she's awake and alert." Peter answered.

"I brought your duffle bag back from the hotel, Peter. You and Olivia will need dry clothes." Walter handed Peter the bag.

Peter smiled at his father. "You did good, Walter. Thanks."

One of the EMT's came down from the ambulance to give the gang the full report.

"She's got a concussion, but we're scratching our heads by the fact that she only has a mild case of hypothermia given the amount of time you said she was in the water. Typically death from hypothermia occurs after 20 minutes when the water temperature is at or below freezing. But she's responding well to the fluids we are giving her. We're sewing up the gash on her forehead right now. Once we get her temperature up a bit and give her some pain meds, she'll be good to go. So no hospital stay, but someone will need to monitor her closely during the next 24 hours. With that concussion, she'll have a bad headache, and with the pain meds she'll want to sleep. Just make sure to wake her up every four hours or so to prevent her from slipping into unconsciousness."

"Astrid, can you call Broyles and let him know she's okay and that she'll be staying with us," Peter asked.

"Oh how wonderful!" Walter exclaimed. "A slumber party! We'll have strawberry Pop Tarts for breakfast!"


	7. Chapter 7

Walter and Peter carefully helped Olivia step down from the ambulance.

"Cute," Peter said to Olivia once she was standing firmly on the ground. He was smiling at the fact that she chose to wear his sweatpants and MIT T-shirt. "Are you wearing that MIT shirt just to impress guys?"

"Oh, I have plenty of other ways to impress guys," Olivia cracked while she handed Peter his duffle bag. "Your turn to change clothes."

Peter shook his head in amusement and went inside the ambulance to change into some dry clothes.

"Did you hear the news, Agent Dunham?" Walter asked with a giddy grin. "You're going to spend the night at our house!"

"Am I? I must have missed that conversation..."

"They said that you need to be monitored for the next twenty four hours because of your concussion," Astrid explained.

"Really, I don't think that's necessary. I'd just like to go home. Soak in the tub."

"Well, Peter pretty much already made the decision that you aren't going to be left alone tonight," Astrid added. "He made me call Broyles to tell him where you'd be."

"Speaking of Broyles, did he find anything out about who that guy was that managed to talk me into attempting suicide?" Olivia wanted to change the subject.

"His name was Carson. Get this...he worked for Massive Dynamic," Astrid said.

"Why am I not surprised?" Olivia sighed.

"Broyles is having the body shipped to the lab tomorrow so Walter can see if there's anything unusual about him."

"I suppose I'll have to pay another visit to Nina Sharp... see what she knows," Olivia said.

"We have a really nice bath tub at our house. I'll let you borrow my rubber ducky," Walter said out-of-the-blue to Olivia. He was still stuck on the idea of her wanting to take a bath.

"Olivia can borrow your _what_ Walter?" Peter jumped out of the ambulance.

"My rubber ducky," Walter said in all-seriousness.

"Um, Peter, can I talk to you for a minute?" Olivia motioned Peter to the side away from the others. "I know you mean well, but I'd just like to go home. I'll be fine."

"Wow. You're incredible. You get abducted by some mind-controlling freak-a-zoid who convinces you to take a 350 foot plunge into freezing rapids, you almost drown to death, get a concussion along with a three-inch deep gash in your forehead, suffer from hypothermia, get confused about what really happened to you, but now you just want to go home because you're fine. You really _don't_ like other people taking care of you, do you?"

"I'm used to taking care of myself..."

"I know. But that's not the point. You've had two major head injuries in the past six months. You really think it's a good idea to be alone right now when you don't have to be? It's just for one night, Olivia. They said you need to be monitored, and if you don't want to go to the hospital, then this is the alternative."

Olivia glared at Peter.

"I'm not convincing you, am I? Well then, maybe Broyles, a.k.a. the boss-man who signs your paycheck, will have something to say about it," Peter took out his cell phone and started dialing.

"You wouldn't." Olivia said.

"I would," Peter smiled. He held up the phone to his ear. "It's ringing."

"Okay, fine. Stop!" Olivia grabbed the phone out of his hand and pressed the hang up button. "But if Walter makes me eat Ho Ho's for dinner, I'm out of there."

Peter put his hand on her back and gently nudged her to start walking towards the station wagon. "Ho Ho's for dinner? I don't think so. He stopped craving those about a month ago. Now breakfast...breakfast on the other hand could turn out to be a real treat!"

* * *

Peter opened the door of the station wagon and helped Olivia get in the back seat. Astrid took her position in the driver's seat, Walter called shot-gun, and Peter took his place next to Olivia in the back.

"It's a three-hour drive back home," Astrid said. "Everyone get comfy."

After an hour of driving, Olivia's headache really started to flair up. Her pain meds did nothing for the pain; they only made her tired. She rubbed the sides of her temple with her shaky hands.

Peter noticed her discomfort. He grabbed her hand away from her face and silently questioned her with his eyes..._are you okay?_

Olivia didn't want the others to know the real pain she was in. She just shook her head no and was almost on the verge of tears because the throbbing in her head was becoming unbearable and she was seeing flashes of light that blurred her vision.

Peter gently tugged on her arm to let her know she should lie down. At first she was reluctant, but he just kept his hand on her arm and told her with his eyes that it was fine with him that she use him for a pillow. She relented and rested her head in his lap and stretched out her legs on the seat. Peter reached behind the seat in the rear of the station wagon and felt for the blanket that he knew was back there. Grabbing the blanket, he spread it out over Olivia. She closed her eyes and felt comforted when Peter rested his hand on her shoulder.

Walter sensed the commotion that was going on behind him. He turned back to look at Peter. He smiled at his son in a shy way when he realized what Peter had done. Peter stared at his father with one of those looks that said _don't say it, Walter_. Walter felt like he intruded on the moment so he turned back around in his seat and kept silent.

Olivia was beginning to feel that maybe it was a good idea for her not to be alone tonight. It didn't take long before she fell into a deep sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

"Hey sleepyhead, we're home," Peter nudged Olivia awake.

Astrid put the car in park on the street next to the Bishops' new-found home.

"If you don't mind, Peter, I'll take the car back to the lab tonight and then I'll pick up Walter tomorrow morning," Astrid said.

"Sure, no problem. Thanks for all your help, Astrid."

Olivia rose from her position from the backseat off of Peter's lap, a bit groggy and unsure of how long she'd been out. As soon as she sat up, she groaned as she stretched out her back.

Walter opened her car door and said, "I hope you're hungry, Agent Dunham. I'm going to make the best potato soup you've ever had!" He held out his hands and she took them so he could help her out of the car. Peter followed closely behind her, keeping a hand on her back to guide her.

"That sounds surprisingly nice, Walter," Olivia managed to say as the world took a spin when she stood up. She swayed a bit but Peter was right there to steady her.

"Whoa, you gonna be okay to walk?" Peter asked.

"I'm good," Olivia nodded and smiled weakly.

Walter got the bags out of the back of the station wagon and said goodbye to Astrid while Peter walked Olivia up to the house.

"Potato soup?" Olivia looked at Peter skeptically.

"Actually, it is pretty good," Peter said as he jiggled his key in the door knob. "It was my mom's recipe. She used to make it for me when I was sick."

"Oh," Olivia replied. "You know, I haven't seen your new place yet." Peter opened the door and let Olivia enter first while he grabbed the light switch. "It's nice."

"We like it. We're glad Broyles was able to make a deal for us."

"Well, it helps to know the right people," Olivia looked at Peter and smiled.

"That it does," Peter smiled back. "Make yourself at home, Olivia. How are you feeling? You should sit...or lie down. You can take my bed upstairs," Peter suggested.

Olivia headed for the couch and sat down. "I'm not taking your bed, Peter," she protested.

"Seriously, I'm sleeping on the couch tonight. You're forgetting that's how I've slept this whole time since before moving here."

Walter entered the house and put their bags on the floor. He was wearing the hat that he found along the riverbank.

"Nice hat, Walter," Olivia chided. It was too small for his head and he looked ridiculous in it.

"Hat?" Walter was confused. Olivia pointed at his head.

"Oh, this hat!" he said as he removed the hat that he already forgot he was wearing. "I found this right where we rescued you today."

"Really? Let me see it," Olivia said as she eyed the hat more carefully. Walter handed it to her. "I've seen this hat before..." Olivia said, dumbfounded.

"That's funny, I said the same thing when I found it!" Walter chuckled. "But I don't remember where I've seen it. I've been wracking my brain but I just can't remember."

"The Observer," Olivia said slowly as she looked up at Peter in disbelief.

"What?" Peter was fascinated. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I've studied all the photos numerous times over. This is his hat."

"Oh good heavens. Yes of course! You're right my dear!" Walter cried. "Oh I'm so glad you figured it out! That was driving me insane!"

Peter gazed wearingly at his father at the mention of the word 'insane'.

"What would the Observer's hat be doing at the very spot where I was found in the river?" Olivia asked.

"I think the better question is...what was the Observer doing there? If he left behind his hat, he was obviously there," Peter stated.

"Watching me fall to my death?" Olivia asked in amazement.

"Or trying to save you," Walter said seriously, his eyes looking far off in a daze. Peter knew that look; Walter knew something more but was afraid to tell them.

"Well, I best get the soup started!" Walter broke out of his daze and headed toward the kitchen.


	9. Chapter 9

"Walter, this soup is delicious," Olivia commented while she loaded up her spoon again to take another slurp.

"Glad you like it my dear. It will warm your bones."

Peter's cell phone rang from across the room. "Excuse me," Peter said as he wiped his mouth with a napkin and got up from the table to retrieve his phone.

As the phone continued to shrill, Olivia's ears were suddenly hyper-sensitive to its sound. The ringing echoed loudly inside her head. Bright flashes of light began to penetrate her eyes. She quickly put her hands over her ears and shut her eyes tightly to try to make it go away, but she could not stop the visions that appeared in her mind. She felt the frigid river water filling her lungs as she struggled underneath the current. Then she was standing in William Bell's office. She heard him say something about the Observer. She saw Bell fill a syringe and felt the needle plunge into her arm. He was saying something about how she and Peter would need each other.

"Peter Bishop," Peter said into his phone as he flipped it open.

When the ringing of Peter's phone stopped, so did Olivia's vision. She tried to recover as quickly as possible so that Walter wouldn't notice, but she wasn't successful.

"Are you alright, Olivia?" Walter asked.

"Yes, fine. Just a headache, that's all," Olivia lied. She started to feel nauseous.

"Okay, thanks Astrid." Peter finished up his phone call and came back into the kitchen. "That was Astrid. Your blood tests came back, Olivia. They found traces of Lorazepam. Does that make any sense to you?"

"Lorazepam?" Walter said in surprise. "It's a mild sedative. I used to give it to you, Peter, when you had your nightmares...it was Belly's idea."

"Alright, Walter," Peter sternly cut off his father. "I'd rather not hear any more about my drug-induced childhood, thank you."

Olivia was about to lose her stomach. She lurched and swallowed while holding a hand to her mouth. She took off running for the nearest bathroom.

"Nice, Walter. Now look what you did." Peter followed Olivia.

"Hey, you okay?" Peter asked as he ducked his head inside the bathroom. He was just in time to see her kneeling in front of the toilet bowl holding her hair back. She flushed the remains, wiped her mouth, and took in a few deep breaths to calm herself. Her hands were shaking and her face was flushed.

"It's happening again, Peter."

"Olivia, you have a concussion. These symptoms are normal. You need to go lie down."

"There's nothing normal about what's happening to me."

"Look, don't let Walter scare you, okay? I know your blood test doesn't make sense right now, but we'll figure it out."

Peter stooped down and rubbed her back to try to calm her. She was visibly shaken, and it started to worry him.

"Come on," Peter said softly as he helped her up slowly. "I'm going to walk you upstairs to my bedroom. I'll get you some more pain meds and then you're going to bed."

She nodded. He was glad that she didn't protest.


	10. Chapter 10

Olivia stirred awake. For a brief moment, she forgot where she was because she wasn't in her bedroom or familiar surroundings. But then she smiled as she remembered Peter tucking her in and then standing at the doorway telling her that he would be downstairs if she needed anything. He said was going to wake her up at 3:00 a.m. He was serious about following the medical team's advice about not letting her sleep through the entire night due to her concussion. She glanced over at the clock on the nightstand. It was 1:52 am.

She was wide awake now. As she lay there, she pondered the vision she had earlier of seeing William Bell again. Could it be possible that she traveled to the alternate universe for a second time? That somehow, perhaps with the help of the Observer, Bell pulled her out of the river to save her from drowning, and then gave her a shot of Lorazepam to help ease the transition of sending her back? _How crazy is that?_ Olivia thought. _Yet it's the only explanation that makes sense right now._

The house was quiet until she heard the 'tick tick tick' of the furnace two floors below her kick on. The noise made her sit straight up in bed. It was so loud, and she knew right away that she was again experiencing the super-hearing ability that came with her last "trip" to the other side. Her sensitive ears then honed in on the whooshing sound of the warm air blowing out of the heat register in the floor. To her, it sounded like she was in a wind tunnel. It was really starting to hurt her ears, not to mention that it just plain scared her. She needed to get out of there. She grabbed the pillow and a blanket and went downstairs in search of Peter.

The noise went away as soon as she started descending the stairs, and she was grateful. She quietly walked through the dining room so as not to disturb a snoring Walter, who still refused to have his bed set up in his real bedroom upstairs. When she reached the living room, she saw Peter curled up on the brown leather couch, illuminated by the glowing light of the full moon that peaked through the curtains.

She sat down on the love seat directly across from the couch. She plopped the blanket down next to her and hugged the pillow to her chest while she quietly stared at Peter. He was asleep, and Olivia sat there contemplating whether or not she could wake him up just because she got scared. She felt completely vulnerable, and she hated showing that side of her to anyone. She was supposed to be Olivia Dunham, FBI Agent. Tough. Strong. Invincible. Out to save the world with her gun in hand.

But this wasn't just anyone. This was Peter. During the short course of one year, they had become friends, partners. They protected each other. She could do this. She could trust him. She could talk to him.

Right when she had made up her mind to wake him, Peter sensed that someone was in the room. His eyes opened, and when he saw Olivia sitting across from him, he was immediately worried.

"Olivia? What's wrong?" He sat up. The blanket that had covered him fell from his shoulders to his lap, revealing his bare chest.

"I'm sorry...I...I guess I can't sleep. I didn't mean to wake you."

Peter turned on the small lamp that was next to him on the side table. He noticed that her hands were shaking severely. She looked scared.

"Did something happen? What's wrong?" he repeated.

Olivia didn't answer right away. It was making Peter nervous.

"'Livia, it's okay. You can tell me."

She looked him in the eyes and noticed how genuinely concerned he was for her.

She slowly started her confession. "After my accident in New York, I experienced something and I kept it from you. From everyone."

"What?"

"Severe side effects from traveling to the alternate universe," Olivia blurted out.

Peter kept silent.

"You think I'm crazy," Olivia said.

"No, no. Of course not," Peter said seriously. "I just wish you would have told me sooner. What kinds of side effects?"

"Well, some you already know about. Bad headaches, flashes of light, visions, nausea, shaky hands. But there's more...I developed an ultra-sensitivity to soft sounds. I could hear a buzzing fly from way across the room or a dripping faucet three doors down...all magnified and extremely loud. And if I sat too long in one spot, I would start to hear EVERYTHING and it all came at me at once."

"Did you talk to your doctor about it?"

"No. Well, kind of. I was seeing Nina Sharp's physical therapist for a while. Amazingly he understood everything that was happening to me. He claimed it was because I traveled to the other universe. I saw him for a few weeks and then my symptoms went away. He said they wouldn't be permanent. The thing is though, Peter... tonight all of the symptoms came back."

Peter slowly began to understand. "You think you went back, to the alternate universe?"

"How else do you explain why I didn't die of hypothermia? I think it was because I wasn't in the water the whole time. William Bell pulled me out of this world and into his, with the help of the Observer. It was Bell that gave me that shot in my arm when it was time to send me back. I had a vision when your phone rang at dinner."

Peter was quiet again as he contemplated all that she was telling him.

"Olivia, there's something I haven't told you either about what happened today. I guess I didn't really understand it until just now."

"What?"

"Right before Walter and I found you, we experienced something weird. I thought I heard a bell ringing. And then it was like time stopped. There was no sound. But then all of a sudden, there you were in the water and all the sound came back. It reminded me of New York. You weren't in the car, but then the horn sounded, and then you just suddenly crashed through the windshield. And now you're saying you had a vision when my phone rang, just like you had a vision in the lab when I rang that bell."

"Why me, Peter? If this is what we're both thinking it is, then why me? And how many more times will it happen?"

"I don't know. I wish I knew. I'm really sorry I wasn't able to catch you from falling off that cliff...when you went over, I..." He was not able to finish the sentence.

"Peter..."

"I should have been there to catch you."

"Please don't blame yourself. It's not your fault."

"Look, I'm your partner now. I know I'm not Charlie, and I'm not out to take his place, but I want to be there for you."

"You have been, Peter. You're forgetting that you did save my life today."

Peter smiled at that and looked deep into her eyes. He began to remember the first time he set his eyes on her.

"I don't know how you did it, but from the day we first met, you made quite the impression on me. I don't know if it was because of your passion and strength...or maybe it was the way you blackmailed me," Peter laughed a little and then turned serious again. "I know at first I didn't want to stick around, but now I feel there isn't anything I wouldn't do for you, Olivia. I want you to know that."

"And I feel the same," Olivia agreed, not taking her eyes off him.

In another pause of silence, something passed between the two of them; a quiet understanding of a bond being formed, a commitment being made to always be there for each other. It was a good feeling.

Then the look on Olivia's face turned devious. "You called me 'sweetheart' when we first met," she teased. "You know I really hated that." Olivia yawned.

"Yeah, well, _sweetheart_, I think it's time for you to get some rest. You okay now?" Peter asked.

"Yeah," Olivia nodded and got comfortable where she was sitting by lying down and adjusting the pillow under her head and spreading the blanket over her. "Do you mind if I sleep here?"

Peter turned off the lamp and lay back down on the couch. "Not at all. Unless you have a habit of reciting the Fibonacci sequence out loud to help you fall asleep. Because if you do, then I'm making you sleep with Walter."

* * *

The morning sun broke through and alerted Walter's internal circadian rhythm that it was time to get up. He put on his robe, tucked his feet into his slippers, and headed to the kitchen for some breakfast. While passing the living room on his way to the kitchen, he noticed Olivia sleeping on the love seat and Peter sleeping on the couch. "How cute!" Walter quietly exclaimed to himself.

Walter proceeded into the kitchen and opened the cupboard. He rubbed his hands together and smiled with glee when he saw the box of Strawberry Pop Tarts. Taking down the box, he headed over to the toaster and placed two tarts into the appliance. He watched inside the toaster as the heating elements turned a bright orange. He then glanced over into the living room and waited for the moment to come. One minute later, the toaster made a loud "POP!" as the tarts sprang out. The noise woke both Olivia and Peter from their sound sleep.

"BREAKFAST IS READY!!"

* * *

The End


End file.
